Clinical Trials

The phase 3 S2302 Pragmatica-Lung study offers a new blueprint for cancer clinical trials, one that emphasizes simplification, inclusivity, and real-world applicability, according to Konstantin Dragnev, MD, of Dartmouth Cancer Center.

Clinical trial recruitment and retention remain challenges in the quest to bring innovative therapies to all patients in need. In oncology, therapies continue to evolve, yet researchers are frequently faced with low trial participation, particularly among minority groups.

According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 35,000 new patients with multiple myeloma are diagnosed annually in the United States, with more than 12,000 deaths attributed to this cancer. However, with the introduction of several novel therapies, the outcomes for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma have improved substantially over the past decade.

Enrollment in clinical trials is vital for the advancement of knowledge and improvement of patient outcomes, but few adults participate in cancer clinical trials. The numbers are even lower among minority adolescent and young adults (AYAs).

San Diego, CA—New research sponsored by the National Cancer Institute highlights the uphill battle faced by patients with limited financial resources even in clinical trials. According to data presented at the 2019 ASCO Quality Care Symposium, patients with Medicaid or with no insurance had significantly worse overall survival in positive clinical trials compared with privately insured patients.

Washington, DC—Patient involvement in clinical trials will impact the Cancer Moonshot’s goal of achieving 10 years of progress in 5 years’ time, said Kim Thiboldeaux, Chief Executive Officer, Cancer Support Community, Washington, DC, at the Sixth Annual Conference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care.

The multitargeted RAF inhibitor BGB-283 demonstrated activity in several types of advanced solid tumors associated with different mutations in the RAF family of genes, results of a preliminary clinical trial showed.

Susan Gubar, an ovarian cancer survivor whose life has been extended by a clinical trial, was shocked to read a recent article published online by Charles Piller on the lack of reporting of clinical trial results.